


Child of the Eclipse

by Dreamprism



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game), Life Is Strange 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Cults, Prophecy, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:53:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21680500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamprism/pseuds/Dreamprism
Summary: This work presents an alternate vision of what could happen after the end of Life is Strange 2 Episode 3. It preserves the canon of the first 3 episodes but has major alterations to the canon of episode 4. It was written before episode 5 was released and so did not involve canon from that at all.It's written from the perspective of Daniel Diaz as he discovers and learns about the Haven Point cult, his birth, and his epic destiny. He even meets Max from Life is Strange 1.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Child of the Eclipse

### Chapter 1: Sorrow

I gradually awaken in the back seat of an unfamiliar car. “Sean?” I look around and begin to lift myself into a sitting position.

“Hey, um, it’s Jacob.”

Jacob? Oh, right. That religious guy from the farm. I look out the window and see a highway sign indicating we are driving through Nevada. On the floor in front of me is a large bag of cash. “Hey, I guess the heist was a success. Weird that I don’t remember it. How long was I sleeping, and where’s Sean?”

Jacob looked tense and couldn’t form any words for ten seconds. “How’s your shoulder?” he asks me, ignoring my question.

I look at my clothing and see my shoulder is stained by blood - my blood. “Dude, what the fuck happened?” My heart rate ramps up as I struggle to recall the events of the heist.

“I don’t know exactly what happened… I only got there after everything went down.” Jacob’s hands tremble and the car drifts into the other lane. He decides to pull over before continuing our chat. “The whole place was a wreck. Finn, Cassidy, Merrill, and… and your brother… they were all knocked out.”

I get a sinking feeling that I am responsible - like what happened with dad back in Seattle. I couldn’t remember much after that either. “It’s me… wasn’t it? I’m the reason it was a wreck. The reason they were all hurt.” I begin to cry into my hands.

Jacob takes a deep breath. “Daniel, what you have is a gift. I understand how you want to blame yourself, but what’s important is we do the best we can do for everyone now.”

A gift? No. This power is a curse. It always brings trouble. “Whatever. Shit. So what are we doing now? Is Sean even okay?”

“I’m taking you to someone who can help us understand your power. Someone at my old community, Haven Point. Sean is… I don’t… I can’t…” Jacob cannot bring himself to finish the sentence.

“Is he… dead?” I ask cautiously. “Please don’t lie to me… I had enough of that after my dad died.”

“Daniel, I… I don’t know, but… I think so.” Jacob looks at me with sadness as I drain the tears from my eyes. “He had a shard of glass through his eye, and he wasn’t responsive. Of everyone at the scene, he was in the worst shape.”

My sorrow turns to anger as I wonder why we are alive and well and didn’t help Sean. “Why didn’t you save Sean when you saved me!? You could’ve taken him to a hospital or something!”

Jacob attempts to explain. “Daniel, I didn’t even have a minute in there. Big Joe came to the camp looking very serious, and Penny whispered to me he heard a police raid was coming tonight on the farm. Earlier in the night I’d seen you and Finn and then Sean and Cassidy heading that way, and I needed to check that you were all fine. I got there and… you weren’t. Everyone was passed out, and money was all over the floor. I put some in a bag as quickly as I could and carried you out. Big Joe was right on my tail - I couldn’t have spent any longer in there or he might have killed us. If the police really came by, then I’m sure they took everyone to the hospital to get medical attention.”

An ounce of hope passes through my mind. Maybe Sean did survive. Maybe he did get treated. “Well, I’m sorry for getting mad at you, Jacob. Thanks for helping me.”

“If Sean’s okay, we’ll get you back to him sometime.” Jacob holds my hand firmly. “I promise.” He pulls back onto the road and continues driving to Haven Point.

### Chapter 2: Prophecy

It’s been a week since our arrival at Haven Point. It’s a strange place with strange rules and traditions, but it’s isolated and it’s safe. I have to do my best to fit in.

The reverend (or “Mother Lisbeth” as the other kids call her) has taken a special liking to me and offered me a room in her home. Jacob and I showed her my power when I arrived, and she says I am the messiah, but I don’t really understand it.

I attend Lisbeth’s classes with the other children on the second floor of the church. Today (March 3rd) is not only my birthday but also Sarah Lee’s. She’s Jacob’s sister.

We got a really big cake - well, it kind of looks like two circular cakes pushed together. Chocolate on one side with space decorations and strawberry with rainbows and unicorns on the other. I don’t know why it wasn’t just two separate cakes, but whatever.

Jacob’s camera flashes as he takes a picture of Sarah and I blowing out the candles. “Happy 10th birthday!” He shows us kids the photo along with ones he took earlier in the day, like a photo of me, Sarah, and Alexander (Sarah’s pet chicken).

For a moment I am smiling. Haven Point has brought me so many new friends. But then I remember all the pain I caused in the past and begin to feel guilty for smiling. I still don’t even know if Sean is okay. No one here will tell me anything useful.

“Mrs. Reverend - why is it that I’m the messiah? Isn’t there someone… better than me?” I look at Lisbeth.

Lisbeth smiles. “Daniel, you are making your penance at home, as you will continue to do. But God does not only use the perfect for his plans. He has a purpose for all of us, and even the imperfect can be made right with Him and serve His will.”

I remember it from my lessons. So much repetition. “I know I have to work on forgiveness, but I just don’t understand who I’m saving or why I was chosen.”

“Okay… perhaps you are ready to know.” Lisbeth nods her head as she says this. “Sarah, why don’t you tell him? After all, you have been trained for 2 years before Daniel arrived.”

“Yes, Mother.” Sarah responds before turning to me. “When Mother Lisbeth was young, an angel came to her and delivered a prophecy that a child born under a blood moon was the key to the salvation of all true believers. She prayed and studied and several years ago came to the understanding that it was the eclipse from 10 years ago today.” Sarah beams with joy as she continues to describe the circumstances of the birth.

“A blood moon? You mean a lunar eclipse? Sean told me I was born under one, but dad would never talk about it. But I know from my birth certificate I was born in France, and I looked it up once on Wikipedia and saw there was an eclipse that day. Are you saying that… means something?”

Sarah quickly reacts “Of course! The prophecy is talking about you. We all thought it was me… that’s why we came to this community when Mother contacted us. Our family has always had faith.”

Lisbeth interjects. “But… we didn’t know for sure it was Sarah. We tried to manifest her powers in every conceivable way, but she seemed just as human as any of us. Sarah was born in Europe as you were, Daniel. Her family was in Spain on a mission to spread their original faith. They lived just south of the Pyreness Mountains. It was so close to a match, but not close enough.” Lisbeth shakes her head. “But you, Daniel - you are a perfect match. Born in the mountains themselves during totality of the eclipse. And you have demonstrated your powers. There is no doubt to any of us that you are the new messiah.”

How does she know so much about my birth? I was born on the mountain? Oh yeah Sean did say something about a hike, but I figured that was a few days before I was born. Or like… after. So mom could go too. Really that whole trip never made sense to me, and as a newborn at the time it’s not like I remember any of it. “Hey, uh… Mother. I still don’t get what I’m supposed to do.”

“Have faith, Daniel.” Lisbeth says. “God speaks to me only what I need to hear to guide you. All will be revealed to both of us in time. I foresaw your arrival here, and I shall see more in the future. We must work together. But now is not the time to discuss such things. Today we must celebrate.”

The birthday celebration continues. It’s more low-key than my birthdays of the past, but it still beats any day at the weed farm. It’s nice being around people my own age again, and I hope Sean’s still alive and can stay here too.

### Chapter 3: Salvation

It’s May now, and I have settled into my life at Haven Point. Sarah has been a great friend, and Mother Lisbeth continues helping me with my education.

I don’t see Jacob much anymore. Mother says he is too upset with me after hearing that Sean had died from my actions. I can’t blame him. I would be upset with me too. I am upset with me.

But I am working to atone. The final atonement ceremony is today inside the church. After that, Lisbeth says I will be ready to save all the true believers. I’m still not sure what that means. Maybe because I’m not purified yet.

I hear a knock at my bedroom door and open it.

Sarah Lee walks in. “Are you excited?”

“Yeah, I guess.” I respond. “What are you doing here?”

Sarah laughs. “Come on, show more excitement than that. You’re always telling me how you don’t understand your purpose, and you’re going to get that today. Mother says every soul in our church might be saved today if things go well. Don’t you want that?”

“Sure. I mean Sean never believed in any of this stuff, but Mother knows so much about me… more than my own mother ever knew about me. I believe her - I just don’t have the full picture yet.” I sigh. “But you’re right. After the atonement I’ll have all the answers I’ve been praying for. And I’ll see what I can do about our salvation or something.”

Mother Lisbeth walks into the room. “Sarah, Daniel has to get ready. You should wait in the church with the others.”

Sarah turns toward Mother. “Oh, I know. I just wanted to see him one last time before the ceremony to give him my support. Let him know I have faith in him.”

Lisbeth replies. “I’m sure he appreciates that. Now, to the church.”

I do appreciate it. A lot of people’s hope is riding on me, and I fear inside I could let everyone down. I watch as Sarah comes up and hugs me. I return her hug. “Thanks, Sarah. I’ll do my best.”

Sarah leaves, and we follow her to the church soon after.

Everyone is in attendance - well, the true believers anyway. Mother would not allow half-believers like Jacob to come, not that he’d want to see me anyway.

A circular platform has been erected in the middle of the room. The congregation is dense but opens a path for me to reach the platform. I walk through with Lisbeth, and they fill the space once again.

“I had a new vision.” Lisbeth proclaims. “Salvation will come today… for all of us! Those in this room today will be spared the wrath that God has planned for the wicked in the near future. We will ascend to the Kingdom of Heaven before the Kingdom of Earth falls, and Daniel will take us there.”

The crowd cheers, calling out my name in unison. “Daniel, the Savior of Haven Point!” “Daniel, the Messiah!” “Daniel, the Child of Prophecy!” “Daniel, the vessel of our Lord!”

It’s all a bit overwhelming. Is salvation really coming this soon? I mean… I have faith in God’s plan… I know Mother Lisbeth is doing right even if I don’t understand it.

“Nicholas brings forth the blades of salvation.” Mother Lisbeth points toward the man who’s been the closest I’ve had to a father figure here.

Nicholas is carrying an ornate box, which he opens as he steps up to the platform with us. The box contains two gem-encrusted knives - perhaps sapphire and topaz. They look very sharp.

I know I won’t be throwing these blades the way I did with Finn’s knife at the stoner camp. Mother has told me I must spill blood to release the last of my impurity, and I have come to accept that. I can stand strong through a few small cuts. And frankly I deserve these cuts for the pain I have caused.

“Reverend, are you ready?” Nicholas asks.

“I have been ready my whole life.” she reassures him. “Daniel, remember to hold in your power, like we practiced.”

I nod my head and concentrate on remaining calm. I don’t want to hurt anyone else.

Lisbeth takes the yellow dagger while Nicholas holds the blue. In a unified motion, they strike through my flesh on each side of my stomach - and deeper than I was expecting.

I want to cry out in pain and scream profanities but know that would not be acceptable. I focus on holding in my power, but my whole body is trembling, and I can feel the blood coating my white shirt.

Lisbeth whispers to me. “Good, Daniel. You are strong. Keep holding it in just a little longer.”

Strangely, she then exits the church with Nicholas. What am I supposed to do now? Just bleed to death? How bad was that cut anyway? My mind races with concern… was this a mistake? No, I am too far in to doubt it now. Purity will come. It must.

I look around at the church members. A few look at each other questioningly but none speak. Sarah tries to come up to me, but her father holds her back.

I look up to the second floor of the church as I hear someone walking. It’s Nicholas, and he is holding a gun! He points it at me. “Release your power!” he commands as I watch his finger move on the trigger.

Before I can think through it, my survival instinct kicks in. In one moment, all of the power I was keeping inside is released. The shockwave breaks apart the whole building around me and scatters the people like leaves in the wind. I pass out from exhaustion.

### Chapter 4: Reunion

I wake up gasping for air, but I can’t get any. I hastily open my eyes and see a translucent covering - like a plastic bag has been placed over my face.

I can barely make out Lisbeth kneeling over me. I try to scream for help, but my voice is muffled due to the tightness of whatever is wrapped around my head.

She reacts by reaching into her pocket and pulling out the yellow dagger again. But she doesn’t look like she’s going to cut me out of the plastic. She looks like she’s about to stab me in the heart. I use my power to cast her aside and then work to get out of the plastic covering, keeping her away from me with my power.

“Fuck. You! Fuck you fuck you fuck you… fuck you!” I scream at her as no words can truly express all the emotions I’m feeling right now.

Lisbeth pleads with me. “Daniel, after all we have been through together you betray me now?”

“What the fuck?! No! You betrayed me! You never had my best interest in mind… or anyone’s!” I scream as I look around at all the bodies, some crushed my debris and others with bags over their head as I had moments ago. “They trusted you! I trusted you!”

Lisbeth remains confident. “Daniel, this was all part of the plan. I told you that you would bring their salvation, and you did. They are now by God’s side in Heaven, and you and I will join them soon. We will not have to live through the tribulations of Earth’s future.”

Infuried, I use my power to push her through the already-damaged wall. “I WANT to live!”

Lisbeth wipes the blood off her mouth and continues speaking. “Not after the asteroid strike, you won’t. It will plunge this planet into decades of chaos.”

“Asteroid? When? Why did you never speak of this before?” I question her.

She explains. “The full prophecy… is that the great asteroid will destroy life as we know it on this planet. It is coming on August 21st - I am sure of it. The night after the great solar eclipse.”

I remembered talk of a solar eclipse. It… almost makes sense. I was born under an eclipse and so my destiny is related to an eclipse as well. But… I cannot accept what Lisbeth has made me do. “Maybe. Maybe you’re right about the asteroid, but you’re still wrong for what you’ve done - what you made me do.”

Lisbeth snickers. “Frankly, child, you were wicked from the moment I saw you. You were never going to get into Heaven like the true believers. But even Judas had a purpose in God’s plan - as it is with you.”

I look around once more and spot Sarah Lee with one of those bags over her head. “Sarah!” I scream as I rip the bag off her with my power. I kneel down at her side to feel her pulse, but she is dead. “Please… come back.” I beg, but my prayer is not answered.

“You were the last one, Daniel. I completed the sacrifice of everyone else first. It’s only you and me here now. You can stay on this wretched Earth if you want. But I know what awaits me in Heaven.”

I kiss Sarah on her forehead. It feels cold, but I guess that’s to be expected with a dead body. Too many people around me have died. I close Sarah’s eyelids and turn my head back toward Lisbeth.

Standing up, I glare at Lisbeth with more pain and sadness in my eyes than ever before. I killed my friend. My girlfriend, maybe. And now… I need to kill Lisbeth. She deserves it, and I don’t think she’s getting what she thinks awaits her - not if there is any just God out there.

I pull back my hand, gathering as much power as possible, preparing to disintegrate her when I thrust it forward.

“Daniel!?!?” I hear from a familiar voice. It’s Sean. He has only one eye now - the other covered by a pirate patch.

Keeping my hand held back, I turn to Sean. “Sean… I thought you were dead. I guess that’s just another of Lisbitch’s lies.” I glare back at her again.

Sean looks terrified at the scene around him. “Enano… no. I was just in a coma. Had to escape. They didn’t let me into the church yesterday, but I came back today with Karen - our mother. We were going to get you… rescue you. But… what happened? Did you do all this?”

“Yeah, Sean. I did this. I’m sorry… I was confused, and she - this bitch right here - manipulated me. I didn’t mean to kill everyone. They were my friends, some of them. She tricked me into some mass suicide plan cause she thinks they’re going to get into Heaven before an asteroid strikes.”

Karen speaks to me now. “Did you get my letter? I told you I was coming to help you.”

Lisbeth interjects. “I took your letter before he ever saw it. I couldn’t have you messing with his mind.”

“Me?” Karen asks, flabbergasted. “It looks like you were messing with his head far more than I ever did, twisting my experience into your own prophecies.”

My mind is so confused. Did mom know Lisbeth? And Lisbeth kept her from contacting me?

Sean approaches me. “Enano, please… Don’t cause any more death today. What she did is on her. You killed them, yeah, but not on purpose. You've never killed anyone on purpose, and I don’t want that to start today. Please… the police are coming and we need to get out of here. They will deal with Lisbeth.”

I lower my hand. “Okay. I trust you.” I reach into Sarah’s pocket and take out the photo of me, her, and Alexander. “Let’s go.” I tell Sean.

We leave the scene before the police arrive. Sean bandages up my cuts as best he can. He let me have some of his pain medication too.

### Chapter 5: Rewind

It’s the day after the mass suicide at Haven Point, and the event is all over the news.

As usual, there is media speculation that my brother set off a bomb, since he escaped from the hospital in California just a few days earlier and there were some witnesses who saw him in the Nevada area - a couple of people Sean told me were racist scum, one more than the other.

We are hiding out in the middle of nowhere, living off the supplies mom had in her truck. Or “Karen” as Sean calls her.

Karen sits down on a rock near me and Sean. “Okay, you both ready to hear the story of how I know Lisbeth? The story of your birth, this asteroid prophecy, and why I left?”

“Yeah, mom. I want to know.”

Karen sighs. “To be honest, I’m not sure where to begin.”

“How about the start?” Sean suggests mockingly.

Karen shakes her head. “That’s not as clear as you think, Sean. The start, from how I understand it, is about 3 months in the future.”

Sean and I both give puzzled looks.

“Just bear with me.” Karen requests. “I’m going to describe her part of the story the way she described it to me. I wrote it down so I wouldn’t forget.”

“Her?” I ask. “Who is ‘her’?”

“Max Caulfield. She has the power to rewind time. But ever since some event that happened in the past, she uses it only in the most dire circumstances so it doesn’t… mess up the universe again.

On August 21st 2017 shortly after the solar eclipse, the governments of the world announced our impending doom. A large asteroid was headed on a collision course with Earth, and we had no way to stop it.

The asteroid was due to strike Seattle - where Max lived at the time - but its secondary effects would cause a mass extinction event that would likely kill off most of humanity on the planet in some time.

This news of course set the world into chaos. There were murders, rapes, muggings, and every other crime you can imagine. That’s why the agencies aware of the asteroid from a week earlier waited til so close to its impact to tell people.

But Max had a vision before the news broke - a vision of you, Daniel, saving the planet from this asteroid. You were standing atop Borah Peak with Sean and I by your side. So she knew everything would be okay.

But it wasn’t okay. From her home in Seattle, Max saw the asteroid hurdle toward the planet. And with seconds to spare she used her power to rewind time as far as she could - which was only to the moment of the eclipse several hours earlier.

She said she worked out who Sean and I were and visited our home in Seattle - luckily we were there. All 3 of us - you, me, and Esteban.”

Sean interrupts the story. “Karen, the time travel I can accept. But you being at home with me and dad is a bit much.”

I add my own thoughts. “And why wasn’t I there?”

We let Karen continue the story. “Well, in that reality I never had Daniel. So… I guess I stayed with Esteban for some reason. Maybe having a new kid didn’t drive me over the edge. I can’t speak for alternate me - I just know what Max told me.”

Sean interrupts again. “Wait… I’m confused. So you remember Max talking to you or not?”

Karen sighs. “If you’ve got questions, you can ask at the end. For now let me get through it without interruption, okay?”

Sean and I accept her terms and let her continue for real.

“Max spoke with us and demonstrated her power, and I apparently believed her story. But I assured her I only had one child - Sean.

Our talks weren’t getting anywhere, and eventually the asteroid was due to strike again, so Max rewound a second time. She tried to go back even further but lost consciousness and had another dream.

In this dream she saw Daniel’s birth under a lunar eclipse near an observatory in the Pyreness Mountains.

She worked out the timing and conditions of Daniel’s birth when she woke up from the dream. But how could she help him be born?

Well, she had a second time travel power. If she looked at a photo of herself or a photo she took - something relating to her - then she could go back in time to the moment that picture was taken. Then she could make changes and reality would play out in some way and then catch up with her in the present. She’d always be a bit confused when returning to the present because she didn’t know what reality she’d be returning to.

She hoped to find a photo of herself from before Daniel would have been conceived so that she could deliver a message to me and hope I believe it. Apparently she tried with a few photos from her youth, but everyone thought the little girl (as she was when she traveled back in time) was just crazy.

Back in her current time, she rewound a third time and drove back to our home, hoping maybe we would have a picture of her. Of course she had to re-convince me of her powers before we went looking for any photos.

As it turns out, my random photos of strangers in Seattle paid off. I had one with Max in it from when we visited the Fremont Troll bridge when you were a little kid, Sean. Not long after we started living in Seattle.

She used her photo focus and told me everything I’m telling you now. Luckily for her I was more believing in her story than any of the others she had tried, and she was able to get her message directly to the intended recipient.

And so I spoke with Esteban and we planned out having Daniel. And we planned the trip to the Pyreness for his lunar eclipse birth. And we expected to see a child of great power.

But Daniel was normal, and Esteban stopped entertaining the prophecy. But I still believed - I just must have had some detail wrong.

I didn’t really want to raise a kid. Sorry, Daniel - and Sean. As I already explained yesterday, I’m just not the motherly type. And I think having Daniel reminded me of that.

But I did want to save the planet from the asteroid. I believed in Max’s warning. So I went looking for others who may have been born under the eclipse. Maybe I heard Max wrong or Max herself remembered wrong from her dream and there was something else about that eclipse.

In my travels I ran into Lisbeth Fischer - the reverend of Haven Point, but this is before she was reverend. She had some interesting theories on eclipses herself, which at the time I was entertaining. She told me her prophecies and I told her mine. Eventually I came to realize she was full of shit and had never had the sort of visitor from the future that I had.

When your father died, I heard about the explosion that happened. And then I saw the other explosion at the weed farm which was tied to you boys. And I realized maybe what I had wrong the whole time was when Daniel would get his powers. Not from birth, but from a traumatic event.

I spoke with Max recently - in this reality - and she explained how she got her own powers when her friend first died. That sounds a lot like when Esteban died. It sucks that someone has to die apparently for powers to manifest, but I guess that’s how it works.

I also explained to Max the whole story that I’ve just told you, and she seems to believe me but says that this version of her was the original and so she doesn’t remember going back in time to when she was little and warning me. The new Max won’t return until August 21st… or is that the old Max that’s returning? I’m not sure which to call which. It’s kind of confusing.

So yeah… that brings us to right now. We need to train you so you can stop the asteroid.”

I am at a loss for words, so Sean steps in. “Mom, he’s good, but can he really stop an asteroid? Those are… big… and fast… and far away.”

“We’ll just have to train him well.” She reiterates. “Max said she’d like to provide him more time, but only her own consciousness goes back when she rewinds, so he wouldn’t actually get much better with the rewind power. And she’s still worried her power could cause another storm like what happened at Arcadia Bay - or what she said happened anyway, since in our reality there was never a storm. Her good friend that died when she first used her power… just stayed dead.”

I think on everything that was said. “Okay, I’ll do it. I’ll train to get better. And we’ll stop it.”

### Chapter 6: Absolution

We had to go to the hospital to stitch my cuts properly pretty soon after Haven Point, and that caused the police to be notified, and Sean was captured and put in jail temporarily.

Luckily he had a swift trial because they didn’t really have any evidence on him doing those crimes. The events surrounding him are still a mystery, and Detective Flores seems very interested in my own involvement, but they just don’t have a legal case against us.

But I know inside that I killed all those people at Haven Point. How does one make up for such mass murder? Well, I guess by stopping an asteroid. That’s about the only thing that COULD redeem me at this point.

And so I keep training. Into August now. I can carve the mountainside like I’m drawing now. I can lift a pool of water and have it drop down like rain. I can disintegrate small objects with a wave of my hand. But is it enough? I don’t know.

Sean is worried about my coughing while training. But I’ve always coughed when training hard. I’m okay. I can get through it. I need to get through it.

Today is the day that mom said the other Max told her that the governments said select officials first learned of the asteroid (before they informed everyone else). We still have about a week until the actual strike.

But here we stand (Sean, mom, Max, and I) at NASA headquarters in Washington (DC, not the state) trying to get an audience with someone who knows what’s going on. Because maybe they can do a better job at training me than I can do alone. Mankind’s greatest ever space mission.

“Hi. I know about the asteroid coming on August 21st, and we can help stop it.” Karen says not-so-elegantly to the secretary.

Several awkward minutes later we are meeting the big boss - the administrator of NASA! Or rather, the acting administrator since no one formally holds the position at this time. But that doesn’t sound as cool.

Acting Administrator Lightfoot asks us what we knew, and rather than start with a long-winded explanation I thought it best to just do a demonstration.

I lift a sheet of blank paper into the air and crumple it into a ball with my power. I then make the paper ball hurdle toward the floor. But just before it hits I stop it mid-air and disintegrate it, with the particles flying back up away from the floor - and over and into the trashcan so I didn’t leave bits of paper all over the room.

Lightfoot is in awe. “Yes, that could be useful.”

Over the next two days, he puts together a team of top astronomers to work with me and allows me to test my power on a couple satellites, altering their orbit just slightly enough for it to register on the sensors.

I failed moving them many more times than I succeeded, and Max told me a couple times I caused some catastrophic damage to the building and she had to rewind before I killed us all, but as the hours and days went on my accuracy increased.

On August 20th (1 day before impact - or more like a day and a half), I managed to affect the satellites successfully every time I tried.

But I know they are still small compared to the asteroid that is coming. And their paths are slower and going around the planet instead of toward it. But… it’s as prepared as I’m going to be.

### Chapter 7: Impact

The time draws near. Sean, Karen, Max, a few people from NASA, and I are atop Borah Peak watching the Total Solar Eclipse.

Like true wolves, we howl at the moon as it crosses the path of the Sun - Sean and I do. Not all the others present. It looked like Max was considering joining though.

People gradually clear off the mountain after the eclipse has finished. They don’t know why we’re here, since NASA officials have hope in our plan and didn’t want to notify the public at all this time around. (People will still learn sooner or later, but at least we bought more time before the chaos begins.)

Try as I might, I still can’t reach the asteroid with my power. In communication via satellite radio NASA confirms I have so far had no impact on the asteroid. But I’m not worried yet - it’s still several hours away.

As time wears on, I notice Max looking flustered. “I can do it.” I reassure her. “That’s why I have these powers.”

“It’s not even that.” Max states. “It’s the photo focus. I know I did it in the other reality… And pretty soon that Max will be back here. But what happens to me? What happens to this Max?”

“Shit.” Sean joins in the conversation. “I never thought about it that way. So you’re like… killing another version of yourself when you change reality with a photo focus?”

Max shrugs. “I think I am? Or maybe I split reality in two and I get to keep living in one of them while the other Max replaces me in the other. It’s hard to say because any individual Max only experiences one personal timeline. I don’t know how the other Max felt living through a week at Arcadia Bay without a tornado when I came back and replaced her at Chloe’s funeral.”

“That’s really rough.” I tell her. “At least with my power I don’t have any worries about alternate versions of me. But… I still kind of think you got the cooler power.”

“A power I can almost never use without universal consequence. What could be better than that?” Max jokes.

“Well, you used it to make me. And so far that’s working out okay…” I notice Max fainting, but Karen grabs her before she falls.

“Hey…” Max says as she comes back from her photo focus. “...everyone is here. Everyone from my dream.”

I greet the new Max… or old Max… whichever Max this is. “Nice to meet you, Max. I’m Daniel. Thanks for helping me exist and everything.”

Max laughs. “No problem, kiddo. I kind of needed you. Rewinding time over and over again wasn’t going to stop an asteroid on its own.” She turns to Karen “So you followed the plan perfectly?”

Karen replies. “I did, with one or two hiccups. At first when I was giving birth Daniel almost died. I guess forcing myself into labor atop a mountain wasn’t the brightest idea. But I wanted to follow what you said as closely as possible, in case it all mattered.”

“Yikes” I say. “So I didn’t exist, and then I existed and almost died, but I actually survived. I’m really like a zombie.”

Max smiles at Daniel. “Dude, I was the real zombie. I just spent over a decade not being myself. Some other Max was controlling my body. I hope she didn’t screw other stuff up too badly. What happened with Arcadia Bay? With Chloe?”

“Still alive. Still dead.” Karen says bluntly. “Sorry. But I guess it’s good you didn’t change too many things of importance. Wouldn’t want another tornado.”

“I’d take a tornado over a meteor shower.” Sean says humorously. “But you can do this Daniel. And if you can’t, well, I talked to some of those government people and they said they have room for us in a bunker - that we could still be helpful to humanity.”

“Dude” I tell Sean “I’m not giving up on this. I’m not gonna go hide away in the bunker with the government while there’s still any chance of stopping this thing.”

I aim my hands toward the sky again and try intently to use my power in the direction of the asteroid (still not visible), but Max stops me. “Don’t exhaust yourself too much yet.”

I put things together in my mind. “Are you going back in time? Did I… fail? Because I used too much power too soon?”

Max reluctantly replies. “Yeah. I didn’t want to, but we didn’t get it the first time. Wait a little longer please.”

“How long?” I inquire. “And how many times did I fail?” I begin crying.

“Daniel, I’m sorry, but… thinking about that won’t help you. Just follow my lead.”

Minutes pass. And more minutes. We hear from NASA that the public has noticed the asteroid but they have put out a press release saying they fully expect to stop it with a classified technology. (That technology is me, of course.) There is still some chaos in the streets, but It’s more subdued than what Max reported from her old reality.

“Now, Daniel!” Max shouts. And the battle is on. Ten-year-old boy versus probably-billion-year-old asteroid. I fight it with all my might and I know I am slowing it down, giving myself more time with it in view of my human eye - time I could use to break it apart and cast it away as dust, if everything goes well.

Borah Peak (our present location - because Max’s dream told us we’d be here) is in Idaho and the asteroid is headed directly for Seattle, so it’s not about saving my own life right now. It’s about saving the immediate lives of the people in Seattle and preserving the lives of the rest of the world which would suffer side effects for many years to come.

The asteroid comes into view, burning in the night sky as it enters the atmosphere, and I kick it into high gear, pushing through the coughs and the exhaustion. I look like a total wreck.

Sean approaches me. He’s not supposed to do that. Everyone should stay a safe ten meter distance away from me because of the gusts of wind that sometimes swirl around me when I use my power like this.

“Daniel… enano… it’s too late. I’m sorry. It’s time for Plan B.” Sean continues walking toward me cautiously. “You’re not strong enough. Don’t die for nothing.”

“I can do this. I can.” I assure Sean. “Stay back! And don’t make me use my power to keep you back. I need to… stay focused…”

“But Daniel, NASA’s over here doing their calculations. And you’re not doing enough to stop it. It’s gonna hit us anyway, and I want my brother alive. Please.”

“Their calculations are wrong!” I shout. “Trust me or don’t, Sean.”

Sean takes a step back and looks over to Max for a reaction, unsure of the right move. Max nods. “He can do this. He’s come very close before.”

“Alright… I hope so.” Sean says as he returns to a safe distance.

At this point I am focusing on the asteroid too intensely to know much of the remaining conversations. But I saw that Max fainted and didn’t come back. I know now this is our last chance. She had rewound as much as she could.

“Hrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhh! UGHGGGHHHHHHHH!” I cry out in agony as my body feels like it is tearing itself apart, using every ounce of energy to rip the asteroid into smaller pieces and propel those meteors back into space.

“AAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHH…” I fall to the ground, my legs no longer able to support me, as I use the last of my power to crush a few stray meteors that were still on-track to impact the planet.

What follows is a very ugly display of continual coughing - blood and vomit included. My eyes have so many burst blood vessels I can barely see, and most of my body looks like it was put in a microwave.

I feel Sean grip my hand. I’m so weak I can barely close my own fingers around his. “Daniel… you did it, bro.” Sean cries. He moves closer, lying down next to me and cradling me in his arms.

“Sean?”

“Yes, Daniel?”

“Do you forgive me?”

“Yes. Of course. I forgive you for everything.”

“For making you go on the run? For breaking your eye? For killing all the people at Haven Point?”

“Yes. For everything. Daniel, I’d love my eye back, but it’s the past - I’m just happy to have my brother.”

“But Sean… you won’t have me. Do you forgive me for… for dying? Cause I feel it. My whole body shutting down. It’s amazing I can even talk right now.”

“Bro, you could always talk - never had any problem doing that.” Sean tries to lighten the mood. “There’s a great doctor with us just down the slope here. You don’t even have to hike - we can take the helicopter.”

I shake my head. “I mean… sure, try. But… I’m fading, Sean. I need to know you forgive me. And mom… if you’re there. You too.”

Karen responds. “Daniel, I never even earned your forgiveness, but you definitely have mine. You saved the whole planet, kid. Just hang on a little longer.”

I hear the helicopter approaching, and Sean lifts me inside with him. “Yes, I forgive you if you don’t make it… but you’re gonna be okay.”

“No… I’m not.” I manage to squeak out amidst another fit of coughing up blood. “When Max wakes up, tell her we made a good team.” More blood. I didn’t even know I had so much blood inside me.

“We made a good team too, Daniel.” Sean kisses me, and I feel his tears roll onto my face.

“Yeah… we did…” I struggle to stay conscious as my blood loss intensifies, likely with internal bleeding as well. “I only lived like ten years, but I’m happy that I lived. Despite my fucked-up destiny, we had some good times along the way.”

“Thanks. I’m gonna miss my little wolf. I’m gonna miss you a lot.”

“I know you’re not a big believer in the afterlife, but… I still hope I’ll see Mushroom. And Sarah Lee. And dad, of course.”

“I hope you do too.”

I let go of Sean’s hand. “Awwooooo…” I howl weakly and fade out of consciousness.


End file.
